SYNTHESIS

Cardinal Paul Poupard was the special envoy of the Holy Father at
the celebrations of the eighth centenary of Chartres Cathedral. In his address
on that occasion he evokes the rich spirituality embodied in that masterpiece of
medieval church architecture: it is an open Bible, Christocentric and rooted in
devotion to Mary, focused on the salvation of humanity. In its order, beauty,
and clarity it is also a privileged place of humanism and holiness, where
culture and faith truly meet. In today's more secularized context, such an
inheritance is not a museum, but a symbolic call to mission and to a new
symbiosis between Christian vision and culture.

Werner Freistetter outlines the anthropological approach to the
concept of culture in the thinking of Johannes Messner (1891-1984), professor
for social ethics in Vienna. Starting from Catholic natural law doctrine in the
tradition of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, Messner sought to combine this
inheritance with an empirical approach, better adapted to the modern mentality.
The result is a broad, anthropological concept of culture which involves
ordinary daily life, family, traditions, law and social order no less than
philosophy, literature and arts. In this approach, human beings with their
fundamental moral conscience, their pursuit of authentic happiness and their
quest for justice are central in the present challenge to create an
international order which respects different cultural identities and is based on
values common to mankind.

Juan-Daniel Petrino draws a parallel between today's proliferation
of sects and the heresies that the early apostolic Church had to face. In the
New Testament we can find valuable indications which help us to confront the
pastoral challenge of the sects. Like today's new religious movements, those
ancient heresies distorted, rationalized, and attempted to manipulate the zone
of mystery. Only Christian communities rooted in an intense spiritual life,
finding nourishment in the Scriptures, the Eucharist, and Marian devotion, will
be able to resist the negative impact of these new religious movements.

Luis Gahona-Fraga believes that the dialogue between science and
faith is entering a new epoch. The scientific optimism of the modern age has
degenerated into pessimism and skepticism. But in the middle of this profound
cultural crisis, there are reasons to hope for new fruitful developments in the
dialogue between science and faith. Contemporary science offers a coherent image
of nature, casting light on the intelligibility of its workings. This fact
should favour a renewed philosophical reflection, which, transcending the purely
scientific level, could create a bridge between faith and modern science.